Weatherproof socket.



1 l., r. l f l n f 7 f 1 f f (rll'OBrIEB. THOMAS, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, TRIC COMPANY, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A

WEATHER/PROOF SOCKET.

Specication of Letters Patent.

CORPORATION or CONNECTICUT.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

Application filed March 28, 1918. Serial N o. 225,321.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. THOMAS, a

citizen of the United States of America, ref

siding at Bridgeport, in the county of- Fairiield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weatherproof Sockets, of'which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to weatherproof sockets, and the objectl of my invention is to provide struction which may be more readily manufactured than'the one-piecebase heretofore used, while, atthe same time, insuring complete inclosureof the wiring connections and a generally rugged and eiiicient device of 'the type mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is :1 -plan, of av weatherproof socket in which :myl invention is embodied in one form; c

Fig. 2 is a broken side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the body of the socket with the cap removed.

Veatherproof socket bases, as hitherto manufactured, have commonly been madein one piece which completely houses the wireI connections to' prevent the entry of moisture into the wiring chambers with the attendant danger of-` short-circuiting the' 'tting. In such one-piece construction, however, the molding and firing operations are difficult to perform without considerable losses from breakage and flaws, and there are frequent delays incident to the more or less diflicu'lt steps of manufacture. According to the present invention, two-piece base, both parts of which are readily manufactured and easily and expeditiously united after the wiring connections have been established, the parts being then permanently secured together by means of insulating cement.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, my iirproved socket base comprises a cap 10 and body 11, both of insulating mate-l rial suoli as porcelain. The cap 10 is provided with an upstantling rib 12 perforated at 13 to receive a suspension hook or the like, and at 14 and 15 to permit the' passage of the wire cables '16 and 17 therethrough. On

Y opposite sides of the rib 12, the cap is pierced at. 18 and 19 toatt'ord pouring apertures, and adjacent these holes are formed ledges 20 and 21 pierced to permit the passage therean improved, two-piece base con` indicated at 33 and 34, Fig. 3. Within the well lying on the opposite side the socket comprises a through ofthe Shanks of the securing screws 22 and 23, by means of which the cap. and ody are united. The lower facerof is recessed at 24 to form a seat for'one end ofthe socket body 11,l beyond which the' skirt 25 of shed.

The' body 11 of the socket cylindrical casing closed toward the cap extends to form a rain comprises a the cap end by a diaphragm 26. The shallow chamber formed between this diaphragmand the -cap .10 is subdivided y a transverse partition-27- 1nto two compartments.

lfVire terminal plates 28 and 29 are secured in these twol compartments and are arranged at the bot-- toms of shallow channels which communi cate with passages 30 and 31e. cut in the'marginal end flange 32 of the socket body 11,

and through which the bai-ed ends of the cables 16 and 17 are led in to the terminal plates 28 and 29 and soldered'thereto as of thel diaphragm 26 are seated the socket shell contact 35 and ,the center contact` 36.

The shell 35 is electrically-connected to the 37 which passesv terminal 28 by the screw through the bottom flange of the shell, pierces the diaphragm 26,

Overlying the base flange of the screw.v

shell 35 is an arcuate receive the screws-22 ASSIGNOR To THE BRYANT ELEO- the cap andtakes into a tapped hole 1n' the terminalfplate 28. lThe, `center contact is secured end of the strap, and takes into a 1t 39 t d t 90 p a e appe o and 23. The latter l,

are so located that they overlie the barrier 27, and the piercings, the screws, pass through the enlarged ends of the barrier as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The screws are thus completely inclosed and insulated from the wire terminals located in the compartments lying on each side of thediaphragin. In order to facilitate the proper positioning of the cap on the body, a stud 41 is'formed on the lower face of the cap which takes into a notch 40 in the end flange 32 of the body.

After the bared ends of the cables 16 and 17 have been soldered to the terminal straps 28 and 29, and the cap 10 secured in position by means of the screws and 23. insulating composition 42 is poured into the respective wiring compartments through which accommodate which minimizes the likelihood Vof injury to the soldered connections at the respective terminal plates 28 and 29.

The manufacture of the two parts 10 and 11, 'which'together constitute the insulating base of the receptacle is readily accomplished at comparatively small expense; the wiring ot' the fitting is more easily performed than has heretofore been possible; the assembly ofthe cap and body by means ofI the screws 22 and .23 is a simple matter; and the sealing of the terminal chambers and the openings thereto by the pouring ot' insulating cement through the holes 18 and 19, is expeditiously accomplished. The completed fitting is as` perfectly weatherproot'ed as stitutes a workmanlike and eiicient article. I do not limit my invention to the precise form illustrated nor to the details of construction illustrated, which .may be variously departed from within the scope of what I claim as my invention.

I claim 1. A weatherproof socket comprising an insulating basehaving independent cap and body parts, and means for uniting said parts together, said body part being recessed at the cap end to aiord a wiring recess, .and

Gopiel ot this patent may be obtained for pour holes, and

a one-piece receptacle and conf channels leading thereto from opposite sides through which the wire ends may enter, wire terminals in said recess, said capbe ingv piercedv to admit insulating cement to the wiring recess. y

2.. A weatherproof socket comprising an insulating'base having independent cap and body part-s, and means for uniting said parts together, said body part being re.

cessed at the cap end to afford a wiring recess and having a cross barrier subdividlng said recess into two wirlng. compartments, wire entry channels leading to said compartments, wire terminals in said compartme'nts, said cap-being pierced by a pair ot' pour apertures leading respectively to the two wiring compartments and through which insulating cement may enter the said compartments. y

3. In a construction such as recited in claim 2, means for uniting the cap and body together comprising screws passing down through the cap and said barrier on the body, substantially as described. A

4. In a weatherprootI socket,` independent esoneri yis. ,TrioMAs ve cents each, by addressing the "Cemmlslionr of latenti. Washington, D. C.

to admit insulatthe completed v 

